Introduction
Douglas McGregor, a social scientist, came up with two different views of human nature regarding employees’ motivation. The first one is theory X, which holds negative assumptions about human nature. It explains that man is inherently lazy and needs to be compelled. He is also self-centered and lacks ambition. Therefore, to have the employees achieve the desired results, they have to be controlled, directed, and punished.
The second one is theory Y, which assumes that employees naturally enjoy work as play. It explains that when committed employees are given room for self-control, then the organizational goals are easily achieved. Therefore managers who believe in this theory cultivate good relationships with their employees to work together to achieve organizational goals (Bagad, 2008).
My Preferred Management Style and My Manager’s Management style
My preferred management style is aligned to theory Y as I have a total score of 63 from the questionnaire survey. I prefer to work under minimal supervision and to be able to consult with my boss when the need arises. I also prefer to have a manager who is concerned with his employees’ well-being as much as he is concerned with the company’s performance. Likewise, my boss also uses a strong theory Y management style as he scored 60 on the questionnaire survey.
My manager prefers a hands-off management style as he does not constantly watch over his employees’ activities. He consults with us before setting targets and rewards us if the targets are met. If they are not, he always comes to us to determine why they were not and works with us to implement necessary changes (Chapman, 2002).
Effects of the Management Styles
Since both my manager and I have the same management style (Theory Y), there is a strong positive relationship between us. The freedom provided by the manager has led to the invention of new ways of performing tasks, which are efficient and more effective. The opportunity to consult with the manager when going through problems has helped employees to solve their external issues amicably without affecting the other workers (Sullivan & Cardinal Stritch University, 2009).
It has also helped understand one another such that the boss can assign us duties in our areas of strength. The offering of incentives has motivated me as an employee to increase my efforts. As a result, the company has been able to achieve its targets. Constant updates from the management have enabled us to plan our schedules and resources effectively, such that wastage is minimized. Lastly, there is an improved understanding between the manager and me as each of us knows the others’ expectations and can act according to those expectations (Mukherjee, 2009).
Conclusion
There are two distinct views on the motivation of employees at work. Each manager’s perception of employees’ behavior will determine the environment that he will offer at the workplace. If the manager’s management style and the employees preferred style are the same, there would be a cordial relationship between them. This is because each of the parties knows the other’s expectations and will be able to achieve them. However, if the management styles differ, there are chances that the two will not understand each other as their expectations towards each other are so varied. Therefore, the manager must understand the preferred style of his employees. Thus, he will be able to lead them well.
References List
Bagad, V. S., (2008). Management & finance. Pune: Technical Publications.
Chapman, A., (2002). ‘X-Y Theory’ Questionnaire. Web.
Mukherjee, K., (2009). Prin of Mgmt & Ob, 2E. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
Sullivan, K. K. and Cardinal Stritch University, (2009). Wisconsin internal medicine physician career satisfaction and associated risks to retention. Ann Arbor, MI: ProQuest.